This blog was started on the 1st of May 2007 and aims to provide information about the birds of Islay.

Monday, 12 May 2014

Monday 12th May

Emily sent through this image of 2 of her 3 neighbours, the noisy Cuckoos, taken as they did a fly past, wonder it was not a gun rather than a "shot" from her camera! As well the Cuckoos, she has also got 2 Corncrakes calling away too and also a Whitethroat to make the choir up! From the old hide, Emily had a Gadwall yesterday, she also was saying that a visitor had seen an Osprey on Loch Indaal, close to Bowmore on Saturday. Andrew and Jane had a trip round the Rhinns yesterday with Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting, Goldcrest, Stonechat, Whinchat, Siskin, Chiffchaff, Dunnock, Sparrowhawk carrying prey, a Peregrine and a Lapwing with 3 chicks. They also saw 2 Arctic Terns fly over to Orsay island. Last night as it was quite calm, Margaret and myself went out to hear any Corncrakes on our patch, a bit early, but there are some around, so by the time we came home we had heard 8 calling birds, to think that a few years back that number was the total for the whole of Islay. All in all, we were well pleased with our tally. The official counts does not start until next week.